Automatic stop-action for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

J. PAUST.

AUTOMATIC STOP ACTION FOR SEWING MAGHINES.

Patented Dec. 4, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN FAUST, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR'TO THE WHEELER & WILSON V MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC STOP-ACTION FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,264, dated December 4, 1894.

Application filed June 17, 1893.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, JOHN FAUST, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Automatic Stop- Action for Sewing-Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The subject of this invention is an automatic stop-action for sewing-machines, where the object is to stop the machine everytime after a certain number of stitches has been made. This occurs for instance where sewing machines are used in the manufacture of clothing, under-wear, shoes, &c., and where, the work is divided betweena number of machines of which each does only a fractional part of the whole work. Thus the number of stitches put on each piece of work by a certain machine is the same every time, after which the latter has to be stopped for the insertion of another piece. In small work, as for instance in sewing onfiaps .on trousers, in shoe-Work, requiring only a limited number of stitches, for instance ten or twelve, these stops follow each other in rapid succession and therefore an automatic stop, which relieves the operators attention to that extent is quite conducive to an increase of the speed by which work isturned out, as well as adding neatness thereto by preventing the stitches from over-running the proper limit.

The novelty resides more particularly in a connective construction whereby the action of the stop-mechanism as well asthe operation ofa treadle for shifting the driving pulley, are simultaneously transmitted to a brake-shoe. The mechanism is furtherso arranged, that when this automatic stop occurs, the needle is elevated and out of the work, permitting the.

' latters removal at once, as well as a ready and quick insertion of the next piece. This can rarely be accomplished where machines are stopped in the ordinary manner, where it is impossible to stop the needle at a certain point and therefore mostly requires an after wheel it comes opposite the shoe.

Serial No. 477,986. (No model.)

Figure 1, shows part of a frame or arm of a sewing-machine with my improved attachment in position. Fig. 2, is an end-view, and Fig. 3, a top-view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a detached top-detail view.

7, indicates the frame, or so-called arm of a sewingmachine. 8, is the main-driving shaft and 9, the driving pulley'thereon.

10, is a brake-wheel on shaft 8, and 11, an adjustable brake-shoe, supported by and sliding in a bracket 12.

' Driving pulley 9 is loose on the main-shaft and it transmits its motion to the latter by frictional contact when pressed and while held against brake-wheel 10, tight on such shaft, by a mechanism usually operated by a treadle and to be described at the proper time.

Part of the rim or face of the brake-wheel is flattened at13, and the released brake-shoe when drawn against it by a spring'l i, will move toward it as close as this flattened part permits when during the revolution of the This however at once stops the wheel and with it all parts depending thereonjor motion, because its increasing diameter back of the flattened portion, prevents it from passing the brakeshoe which now becomes tightly wedged between the rim of the wheel and bracket 12. See dotted lines in Fig. 2. The brake-wheel 10, is so adjusted on shaft 8, that its flattened part is opposite the brake-shoe at a time when the needle is 'elevated, so that whenever the brake-shoe operates for the purpose of arresting the motion of the machine, theneedle will be out of the work and the space under it clear, to permit removal and re-insertion of such work.

For the purpose of holding the brake-shoe out of contact with the brake-wheel, while the machine is sewing, it is connected to a lever 15, pivoted at 16, and which, when its upper end is engaged as shown, by another lever 17, pivoted at 18, prevents spring 14, from drawing the shoe against the wheel. \Vhen lever 17 is oscillated at the designated time and as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1, and 2, lever 15, will be liberated to an extent which permits spring 14, to draw the brake-shoe against the brake-wheel as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The oscillation of lever 17, is accomplished by a pin 19, which is carried around by a wheel 20, and rides up on the inclined end of said lever. This causes a depression of this end with a consequent raising of the other, whereby lever 15, becomes unlocked and relieves spring 14, to actuate the brake-shoe for the purpose of stopping the machine. The rotary motion of wheel 20, necessary to carry pin 19, against and up on lever 17, may beimparted to it in any suitable manner from the main shaft. In the case here in consideration, it is done by the reciprocatory action of a pawl 21, which engages with teeth provided for such purpose on wheel 20. For the purpose of its actuation, this pawl is pivotally secured to a link 22, swinging from a center at 23. From its rear side extends a pin 24, inwardly through a slot in the frame toward the mainshaft and into the groove of a cam 25, secured to the latter at this point. This groove is so shaped as to actuate the pawl once to every revolution of the main shaft, or once to every stitch made by the needle, whatever the case may be.

26, is another pawl held in engagement with wheel 20, by a spring 27, its purpose being to hold said wheel in the position to which it has been advanced by pawl 21.

To bring all parts back again to theirformer positions, lever 17, must be returned to a condition where it is enabled to re-lock lever 15 whereby coincidently the brake-shoe is released from the brake-wheel and the machine permitted to be started again. To enable the depressed leverl7, to dothis it must be released from pin 19, which for this purpose is moved back from its inclined end by wheel 20, which is returned bya spiral-spring, one end of which is connected to the inside of a barrel 28, form ing part of wheel 20, while the other end conmeets to astud 29, upon which said wheel turns. This return of wheel 20 is also automatic and made possible by its disengagement from pawls 21 and 26, which disengagement is also accomplished by lever 17, when first depressed by pin 19, so that the two results of that depression, that is the stopping of the machine and the return of wheel 20, to its normal po sition, occur practically at the same time. For this engagement of the pawls and in case of pawl 21, a lever 30, is provided, pivoted at 31, and carrying a pin at each end, one of which engages with lever 17, the other reaching under pawl 21. When lever 17, While being depressed,also lowers one end of lever 30, the other end of this latter lever raises pawl 21, off from wheel 20. Pawl 26, is disengaged by means of a heel 32, provided on it, and which is depressed by lever 17. At this time, that is while the stop or brake is active, the frictional contact between brake-wheel 10, and the power-driven pulley 9, is also broken to obviate undue strain and friction.

For the purpose of disengaging the brakeshoe from the brake-wheel, when the machine is to be started again, the upper end of lever 15, is swung inwardly, after which lever 17, immediately drops and locks lever 15. This throws also the pawls again in engagement with wheel 20, and puts the whole stop-mechanism once more in operative condition. Springs 27, 33, and 34, accelerate the movements of the difierent parts to these positions. For the purpose of thus operating lever 15, in a manner necessary to so disengage thebrakeshoe, I connect it with a mechanism which is present in such machines and used to connect or break the operative connection of the power driven loose belt-pulley 9 with the machine, the aforesaid lever participating in the operation of this mechanism by reason of its connection. This mechanism which forms no part of my invention consists in this case of a lever 37, pivoted at 38, with one of its ends inclined in a manner best shown in Fig. 3 and operated by a treadle from belowby means of a rod 36, connecting to its other end. The connection is accomplished by means of an arm 35, on lever 15, also connecting to rod 36, so that when the latter is operated, arm 35, with lever 15, as well as lever 37, are simultaneously affected and move together. When arm 35, is pulled down by the treadle, to disengage the brake-shoe, the same operation causes also the inclined end of lever37, to

bear against a friction cone 39, which presses the loose pulley, having a lateral movement, against thewbrakewheel 10, which is tight on the shaft and by the frictional contact thus obtained, shares in the motion of pulley 9, and starts the machine. When lever 15, becomes unlocked and sets the brake, arm 35, in rising, also raises one end of lever 37, whereby the other and inclined end moves away from the friction-cone 39, by which the frictional connection between thebrake-wheel and the driving-pulley is broken, the former stopping, while the latter continues to revolve independently.

It will thus be noticed that the stop-mechanism and the power-driven pulley 9, are operatively connected in such a manner, that the two co-act in the proper manner.

In the mechanism so far described, the brake sets and stops the machine every time after this latter has made a sufficient number of revolutions, respectively stitches, to turn wheel 20, once, to actuate by pin 19,1ever 17. It follows that if the position of this pin 19, is made changeable on wheel 20, the time within which it reaches and acts upon lever 17, after the wheel 20, starts going, is also changed and as the advance of wheel 20, is

proportional to and directly produced by the.

stitch-producing motion of the machine, it becomes obviousthat the position of this pin governsthe number of stitches, the machine can make between its start and between the time pin 19, releases lever 15, by means of lever 17. Back of wheel 20, and secured to the machine frame is a projection or stop 40, while a similar projection reaches out rear-. wardly from wheel 20, and so located thereon as to be in the path of the first projection or stop. After each stoppage of the machine, when pawls 21, and 26, release wheel 20, and permit the spiral spring within the latter, to carry it back, it comes to a halt against these stops, which thus form a fixed starting point for the next operation, preventing also said spiral spring from completely unwinding itself and losing its tension. If with the wheel now in such position, pin 19, is'placed directly under lever 17, about as shown in Fig. 1, it will require practically a full revolution of the former, before pin 19, completely releases lever 17. If the wheel has, as is the case here, thirty-six teeth, which are advanced successively by a similar number of operations of pawl 21, accomplished by thirty-six stitchproducing revolutions of the main-shaft, it follows that by the time pin 19, acts upon levers 17 and 15, to set the brake, the machine has made thirty-six stitches. If holes 42, corresponding with the teeth, are provided in wheel 20, each capable of receiving the pin, it follows that the number of stitches between the stoppages of the machine, may be varied, respectively decreased in proportion as pin 19, is advanced in the line of its path, that is set closer toward the inclined end of lever 17 The proportion between the speed or advance of wheel 20, as received from the [110- tion of the sewing machine, may be modified in several ways; For instance the machine may make two, or three, stitches, before wheel 20,,advances once, whereby the total capacity of adjustment is correspondingly increased;

The parts of this movement may be directly attached to the sewing-machine frame, or to a base-plate, which latter then connects to the frame.

Having described my invention, I claim as new- 1. In an automatic stop-actionfor sewing machines, the combination of a brake-wheel provided with an eccentric portion 13 in its rim, a wedge-shaped brake-shoe located opposite the face of thisbrake-wheel, a bracket 2 upon which the brake-shoe is supported and guided in a manner to cause it to move tangentially to or from the brake-wheel, means to hold the brake-shoe out of contact with the rim of the brake-wheel while the machine is running, means controlled by the main shaft for the purpose of liberating the brake-shoe to permit it to move into the space between bracket 12 and the rim of the brakewheel whereby the latter is positively stopped by the brake-shoe which is wedged between its face and bracket 12, the eccentric portion on the brake-wheel being so located as to actuated from the main shaft and acting uponlever 15, to cause the brake-shoe to become operative for the purpose of stopping the machine.

3. In an automatic stop-action for sewingmachines, the combination of a brake-wheel secured to the main shaft thereof, a springactuated brake-shoe 11, a lever 15, connected to it, a lever 17, capable of engagement with lever 15, a spring-actuated change-wheel 20, receiving its motion from the main-shaft of the sewing-machine, an adjustable pin 19, on said wheel, capable of acting upon lever 17, and means'causing wheel 20, to return to its starting point after each operation of the brake-shoe.

4. In an automatic stop-action for sewingmachines, the combination of a toothed change-wheel 20, a reciprocating pawl 21, 'to rotate it, a pawl 26, to hold it to its advanced position, a spiral spring to return it to its starting point, a pin 19, adjustable within a circular line on wheel 20, a lever 17, so located as to have one of its ends susceptible of engagement with pin 19, means actuated by this lever and whereby pawls 21, and 26 are disengaged from wheel 20, a lever 15, having connected to it a spring-actuated brake-shoe and a brake-wheel.

5. In an automatic stop-action for sewingmachines,-the combination of a mainshaft thereof, a brake-wheel fast therewith, a loose driving-pulley, mechanism to break and establish the operative connection between the latter and the main shaft, lever l5, having arm 35, connected to this mechanism, a spring-actuated brake-shoe connected to lever 15, a lever 17, capable of acting upon. lever 15 in a manner to keep the brake shoe out of operative engagementwith the brakewheel, and a change-wheel actuated from the main-shaft and provided with an adjustable projection which is capable to act upon lever 17, in a manner which permits lever 15, to liberate the brake-shoe.

6. In an automatic stop-action for sewingmachines, the combination of a change-wheel 20, actuated from the main-shaft, a projection thereon, a lever 17, reaching within the path of said projection, a brake-wheel fast on the main-shaft, a spring-actuated brakeshoe connected to a lever 15, and held normally off of the brake-wheel by the engagement of levers 17, and 15 until disengaged by the change-wheel, a loose driving-pulley 9,

also on the main-shaft, a treadle-mechanism for shifting the driving pulley and an arm 35, on lever 15, also connected to the treadlemechanism, whereby the brake-shoe becomes subject to the-action of the change-wheel, as well as to the treadle-nnechanism.

7. In an automatic stop-action for sewing machines, the combination of a change-wheel 20, actuated from the main-shaft, a projection 19 and a stop 40, thereon, a lever 17, reaching within the path of projection 19, a brakewheel loose on the main-shaft, a springactuated brake-shoe connected to a lever 15, and held normally 0E of the brake-wheel by the engagement of levers 17 and 15, until disengaged by the change-wheel, a stop 40, on the mainframe and a spring whereby the change-wheel is carried back to this stop, after having released lever 15.

S. In an automatic stop-action for sewing machines the combination of a spring-actuated change-wheel 20, a pawl 21, a link 22, to which it is connected and a cam 25, on the main shaft whereby pawl 21 is actuated in a manner to rotate wheel 20 in a direction opposite to the action of the spring on the latter, a pawl 26, to hold wheel 20 in its advanced position, a projection 19, on the latter, a lever 17, reaching within the path of this projection,a brake-whee1 loose on the main-shaft, a spring-actuated brake-shoe connected to a lever 15, and held normally 0% of the brake-wheel by the engagement of levers o In testimony whereof I afilx my signature, 4c

in presence of two witnesses, this 13th day of June, 1893. a

j J OHN' FAUST. Witnesses:

O. SPENGEL, WM. KRAMER. 

